


Painted Stories

by havemore_fandomgarbage



Series: Twice-tober [1]
Category: TT - Twice (Music Video), TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-11-28 09:03:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20963969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havemore_fandomgarbage/pseuds/havemore_fandomgarbage





	1. Prologue

“You guys are ruining my life!” They, being your parents, were not ruining your life. Teens had a tendency to be a bit melodramatic. “You promised I could go out tonight. Why do you guys hate me?” Maybe a little more than a bit.

Your mom stood in front of the mirror that hung in your front entryway. She was adding the last bit of fake blood to her zombie bride costume. If you weren’t absolutely infuriated with her, you would have been geeking over her costume. It was truly exceptional.

“We’ve been over this a thousand times, Y/N. We weren’t planning on going, but important business partners are going, and you know how it is,” your mother explained. You huffed, crossing your arms defiantly. Yes, you did know, because any time you wanted to do something your parents found someway to ruin your plans, and they had the audacity to question why you never went out.

“Even so, why can’t I at least stay home? Why do I have to go to Grandma’s?”

“Because she’s old and needs your help with your siblings. Besides, I thought you were close to Grandma?” You rolled your eyes, plopping down onto the couch with a huff. You heard your mother sigh, but you didn’t care.

Your father came down the stairs in a suit and covered in fake blood. His white shirt was practically pink from all the blood, not to mention he smelled like the living dead. He spared you an apologetic glance that you returned with a harsh glare. Were you being a tad bit unreasonable? A bit, but it wasn’t completely unwarranted.

“Dad, tell Mom she’s being unreasonable. Tell her I can stay here by myself,” you told your father. If anyone would see reason, it would be him.

“You are more than capable of staying here by yourself,” he said, making you smirk triumphantly, “but I was the one who suggested you go to Grandma’s.” You smirk dropped, eyes widening in disbelief.

“WHAT? WHY?” you bellowed, nostrils flaring. Your parents were unbothered by your outburst.

“I don’t need, nor want, you sneaking out, throwing your own party, or having boys in my house.” You clenched your jaw, your vision slowly turning red. You let a frustrated growl.

“You guys are the absolute worse. I hate you!” You stomped to your room, throwing yourself onto your bed in a Disney-princess-like way. All you wanted to do was go to one party. You’d been talking about this party since the beginning of Spooky Season. This was the biggest party amongst your age-group. Everyone was going, well, everyone except you.

“Y/N, it’s time to go!” your mother called. You slid off your bed, grabbing your bag and trudging downstairs. You didn’t say anything as you went into the car. The minute one of them had tried to speak to you, you put your earbuds in and turned to stare out the window. You didn’t say anything as you stepped out of the car, slamming the door and running to your grandma’s door.

She was waiting at the door in her usual Scary Godmother get-up Her smile was gone as soon as she saw your unpleasant expression. She pulled you into a wordless hug as you let out tears of frustration. She rubbed your back soothingly, moving you inside and away from the neighbors’ prying eyes. When all else failed, there was only grandma.

“Oh sweetness. What’s wrong?” she asked. You pulled back, wiping away your tears with your sleeves.

“Mom and Dad broke their promise. This was supposed to be my night, and they made it about them.” Your grandma nodded, frowning slightly.

“I’m sorry sweetness. Maybe I can help,” she said. She grabbed your hand, guiding you through the house. Your younger siblings were passed out on the couch, surrounded by candy while Halloween classics played on tv. Yeah, your grandma needed your help with them. Your grandma lead you to a door you never noticed before.

“Where’re we going?” you asked. She didn’t answer. Instead, she gently pushed you into a hallway that was lined with old paintings on both sides. “Grandma?”

“I want to tell you some stories. I know you’d much rather be with your friends, but I think I can get you into the Halloween spirit again. Only if you want, though.” You smiled.

“Of course, Grandma.”


	2. The Devil Within

On a busy street, in a big city, there was a girl named Nayeon. She had soft, brown eyes and brown hair that brushed her shoulders. Her smile was bright, her laugh was contagious, and her heart was pure gold. On the street, different booths lined both sides. Delicious aromas and sweet fragrances filled the air as vendors called out their goods to the many people that passed by. Nayeon walked with her mother, their arms linked as they made their way through the bustling street.

Tucked away in a dark corner, away from the colorful booths and happy shoppers, was a small, black tent. Nayeon pulled her mother to check the booth out. Peering inside, Nayeon found the tent seemingly abandoned. Her mother stood a little distance away, hugging herself.

“Hello?” Nayeon called. From behind the tent, a little old woman appeared. She shuffled to a tiny bench in the corner, perching herself behind it. Nayeon stepped inside the tent, offering the woman a small smile. “Hi,” she greeted. “I was just wondering if my mom and I could look around?” The old woman nodded once, keeping her small eyes trained on Nayeon.

Nayeon went to grab her mother, slightly dragging her into the tiny tent. Nayeon milled about while her mother stayed near the tent’s entrance. The tent was full of small trinkets and old household items. It seemed the old woman was cleaning out her house.

Nayeon was about to leave when she spotted something tucked away behind one of the boxes. Moving the box, she found a tarnished, vanity mirror. Around the circular glass were lines woven to create an intricate pattern. All it really needed was a good polish, and it would look good as new.

“Mom,” Nayeon called. “Come look at this.” Nayeon’s mother took hesitant steps towards her, side-eyeing everything. “Isn’t this pretty?” Nayeon asked when her mother was close enough. Her mother offered a tight-lip, single nod. “Excuse me, ma’am, how much is this?” The old woman stared at Nayeon through narrowed eyes, but offered her a sickly sweet smile.

“For a pretty lady like you? Take it. Consider it a gift,” the old woman said.

“No,” said Nayeon’s mother. Nayeon and the old woman turned to stare at her--one with curiosity, the other with malice.

“No? Why?” Nayeon asked. Her mother dropped her voice, moving closer to Nayeon but staying away from the mirror.

“There’s something wrong with the mirror. There’s something evil in it,” she whispered. Nayeon rolled her eyes.

“There’s nothing wrong with it and there’s no evil. It just needs a good polish and it’ll be good as new.” Her mother clutched her arm, eyes pleading. Nayeon brushed her off, turning to the old woman. “I’ll take it. Thank you so much for it.”

Later that night, Nayeon stood in front of her new mirror. The tarnished lines revealed stunning gold. She had taken it to be professionally polished and had picked it up without any issues. In fact, her day went on as if she’d never stumbled across that quaint tent. Just to be safe, and because her mother begged, she took it to an antiquer. He said the mirror was from the late 1920’s to early 1930’s and appeared to be perfectly fine and worth quite a bit of sum of money.

Nayeon was finishing up dinner when she heard a knock on the door. Checking her hair in her mirror and smoothing her dress, she opened the door to greet her girlfriend of many years, Y/N. Y/N wore a simple green dress and black flats. Nayeon welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey,” Nayeon greeted.

“Hey.” Y/N hummed, smelling the air. “What smells good?” she asked. Nayeon grinned, rushing off to grab the glasses of wine she had prepared moments earlier.

“Your favorite,” Nayeon answered. Y/N hummed again, graciously accepting the wine. They sat on Nayeon’s couch, idly discussing their day while dinner finished cooking. Once the timer went off, Nayeon went to serve it while Y/N refilled their glasses. They sat eating, casually discussing their day and their plans for the week.

Later in the evening, and after several more glasses of wine, Y/N stood at the door, checking herself in the mirror. Nayeon came to stand behind her, wrapping her arms around Y/N’s middle and resting her chin on her shoulder.

“You shouldn’t drive, you’ve had a lot to drink,” Nayeon said. Y/N smiled.

“I’m fine, my last glass was an hour ago,” Y/N said. Nayeon pouted, wrapping her arms tighter.

“I would feel better if you stayed the night. I have plenty of room on my bed.” Y/N quirked a brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were trying to seduce me.”

“That depends,” Nayeon told her. Y/N stared at her expectantly. “Is it working?” Y/N pretended to think before nodding. The two girls giggled as they made their way to Nayeon’s bedroom, completely missing the shimmering mirror.

A couple of weeks went by before something weird happened. Nayeon sat on her couch watching tv when she heard a woman’s voice call her name. Muting the tv, she sat up straight. The voice called out to her again, this time louder.

“Who’s there?” Nayeon said. Nayeon slowly stood up, quickly checking the windows only to find them all closed and secured. In fact, her whole house was empty save for her. She sat back down on the couch, thinking it was just her imagination.

“By the door,” the voice called. Immediately her head whipped to the door. Quietly she tip-toed to peep out the peep-hole, but there was nobody there. Confused, she turned to go back to the couch.

That’s when she caught sight of the mirror shimmering. She gasped, pressing herself against the opposite wall. The mirror shimmered and distorted her face until the face she saw was no longer hers. Instead, a beautiful woman was facing her, a beautiful smile on her face. She had short black hair that stopped at her chin and a weird band around her forehead. Her eyes were black and emotionless.

“Hello Nayeon,” she said. Even her voice was beautiful. “My name is Jisoo.”

“Are you--like--the enchanted mirror from Snow White? Do you know who Snow White is?” The mirror lady, Jisoo, laughed.

“I’m old, but I do know about Snow White. You aren’t the first person I’ve met,” Jisoo told her. Nayeon nodded, slowly standing up straight.

“So, uh, why are you in the mirror?” Nayeon asked. Jisoo sighed, turning away with a forlorn look on her face.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember much beyond my name,” Jisoo sighed. “I’ve just always been here as far as I can remember.”

“That’s so sad,” Nayeon said. “Well, I don’t know if I can help you find out who you are, but I can be your friend.” Jisoo smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Nayeon didn’t seem to notice.

Weeks went by and Jisoo and Nayeon became good friends. No matter what, Jisoo never failed to compliment Nayeon. Any time she could, she would shower Nayeon in compliments. She would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the attention. By the time her next date night came around, Nayeon was more confident than ever. Y/N stepped into the apartment, pressing a quick kiss to Nayeon’s cheek.

“Hey, you look great,” Y/N said. Nayeon smiled, waiting for Y/N to continue. But she didn’t, instead, she moved to the kitchen where two glasses of wine laid ready for her and her girlfriend. Nayeon followed her, pouting slightly.

“I made your favorite,” Nayeon told her. Y/N grinned, pecking Nayeon’s lips.

“You’re the best,” she said, moving to sit on the couch. Nayeon followed, a weird pain in her chest. Y/N began talking about her day as Nayeon listened half-heartedly, offering the occasional hum. Y/N took notice, setting her wine down on the coffee table.

“Babe, is something wrong?” Y/N asked. Nayeon shrugged, hiding behind her wine glass. “Nayeon, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

“It’s just--I don’t--I’m not feeling… completely… appreciated,” Nayeon mumbled. Y/N stared at her before laughing. Nayeon pouted, huffing and crossing her arms.

“I’m not laughing at you,” Y/N said quickly. “I just thought it was something serious--”

“This is serious!” Nayeon shouted, standing up. Y/N jumped back in surprise, staring up at Nayeon in surprise.

“What’s going on?”

“You aren’t appreciating me! I go out of my way to look nice and to make you a meal and all I get is, ‘you look great,’ and, ‘you’re the best.’ Don’t you think I deserve more than that?”

“I think you deserve the world, but you aren’t answering my question. What’s going on? This has never been a problem before,” Y/N said. There was a long pause. “Is there--is there someone else?” Nayeon stared at her in shock.

“Are you accusing me of cheating?” Y/N stood up, planting her hands on her hips.

“What else am I supposed to think? Something that’s never been an issue is suddenly pulling you away from me.” Nayeon opened her mouth then closed it. Y/N nodded, brushing past Nayeon to the door. “I can see when I’m not wanted. When you want to talk things out like adults, feel free to call. Goodnight Nayeon.”

Y/N walked out the door, leaving Nayeon staring after her in disbelief. Taking a deep breath, she hopped into her car. There was only one place Y/N could go where she could get some solid answers.

Y/N paced Nayeon’s mother’s front porch. So many questions ran through her head. How would she even begin a topic like this? Was there some way she could ease into it? Or was she doomed to have to be upfront and blunt. Before she could knock on the door, it opened to reveal Nayeon’s mother standing there, wrapped in a shawl with a serious expression.

“Y/N. Don’t you think it’s a bit late for a visit,” she said.

“I know it’s late, Mrs. Im, but it’s about Nayeon,” Y/N said. Mrs. Im nodded, moving aside. Y/N stepped in, turning to Mrs. Im in desperation. “I need your help. There’s something going on with Nayeon, but I don’t know what. We were supposed to be having a nice dinner, and she starts going on how I don’t appreciate her.” Mrs. Im sighed, moving to sit down in her living room. Y/N followed, sitting across from her.

“I knew this would happen. I knew that damn mirror was bad luck,” Mrs. Im said.

“Mirror? What mirror?” Y/N asked.

“Awhile back, Nayeon and I went shopping. She found this mirror in this sketchy tent and I knew--I knew that mirror was evil. I tried to tell her but she wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Mrs. Im, what did the mirror look like?”

“Oh, it was a circle and had a bunch of lines interlacing. It was old but if she had it polished, then I believe it would be gold.” Y/N thought hard, then she remembered the mirror that had been hanging near the front door awhile back, but it hadn’t been there recently. Certainly a mirror wasn’t the cause for this… certainly.

After Y/N had left, Nayeon had began crying. What had come over her? Why was this such a big deal? She sunk to the ground, burying her head in her hands as sob after sob wracked her body. Had she just ruined a perfectly good relationship over something so trivial?

“Nayeon,” called Jisoo. Sniffling, Nayeon shuffled to her room where the mirror now hung as her new vanity mirror. Jisoo was staring at her with her dark eyes, the corners of her mouth pulled down into a frown. “What happened?” Nayeon went on to explain what had transpired, recounting how she’d been foolish and childish. “I don’t think you were wrong,” Jisoo said. “You put in so much work, you deserve to be properly loved.”

A knock at the door echoed through the house. Nayeon made her way to the front door, swinging it open when she saw it was Y/N. Y/N didn’t say anything as she wrapped Nayeon in a hug. Apologies spilled from both of them as they held onto each other.

Nayeon lead them to her room. Y/N stopped at the door, staring at the mirror Mrs. Im had talked about. She had been right. There was an evil aura surrounding the mirror. Y/N followed Nayeon, keeping an eye on the mirror.

“That’s a pretty mirror,” Y/N said, settling on the edge of the bed. Nayeon turned to the mirror, a shy but glowing smile on her face. “Where’d you get it?”

“It was a gift from a nice old lady in the market,” Nayeon said, moving to sit next to Y/N. She didn’t look away from the mirror. It was like she was caught in some weird trance where she couldn’t look away from herself.

“Maybe… maybe you should get rid of it,” Y/N suggested. Nayeon looked at her, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Why would I do that?” Nayeon asked. Y/N sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I talked to your mom--” Nayeon scoffed, tossing her head to the side.

“Are you really going to listen to her? She’s convinced the mirror’s evil.” Y/N stared at her, her face completely serious. “Are you saying you believe her?” Y/N didn’t say anything, casually side-eyeing the mirror. Nayeon let out another scoff, standing up. “Of course you do. God, I was so stupid. You all don’t care about me. You just want everything to be about you. I get the tiniest bit of self-confidence and suddenly everything I own is evil.”

“That’s not true,” Y/N said. “But ever since you got that mirror, you’ve been acting different. Hell, we’ve never fought like we just did, like we are.” Nayeon scowled, her hands clenching at her sides. Her vision was slowly turning red. “Nayeon?”

“Get out!” she yelled. “Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” Y/N jumped up off the bed. Nayeon continued to scream. Y/N ran and ran and didn’t stop until she was driving away from Nayeon’s apartment.

Nayeon collapsed onto her vanity, sobbing into her arms. Jisoo appeared in the mirror, staring down at Nayeon. Her cold eyes were filled with an unfamiliar fire.

“Oh Nayeon, I’m so sorry,” Jisoo cooed. Nayeon stared up at her, tears glistening in her eyes and staining her cheeks. “You don’t deserve this. I can take away the pain you know.”

“You can?” Nayeon asked, wiping away her tears.

“Of course I can,” Jisoo said. “There’s just a couple of things you need to do.”

It was a week later when Y/N returned to Nayeon’s. There hadn’t been a single call or text, no social media update, no nothing. Mrs. Im had called her, say Nayeon hadn’t left the house in a week and wasn’t answering the door. Y/N was the only person with a key.

Y/N took a deep breath before going inside. Everything was just how it had been that fateful night. The dinner laid rotting on the table, flies around it and its potent smell filling the air. Y/N covered her nose, calling out to Nayeon. When there was no response, she went to her room.

An inhuman noise left Y/N’s mouth when she opened the door. Nayeon sat at her vanity, dressed in her favorite dress, her hair and makeup done beautifully, and surrounded by different assortments of colorful pills. Y/N rushed to Nayeon’s side, desperately trying to find a pulse. Panicking, she called an ambulance,crying out for help. She called Mrs. Im, telling her what she’d found.

However, everything was too late. Nayeon had been dead for a week. It was ruled a suicide and the case was closed. Mrs. Im passed soon after, too consumed with grief to carry on. Y/N was left to sort out Nayeon’s possessions. She went to the market, setting up a both, tucked away in a corner. Hardly anyone came, but she didn’t leave. At one point, a beautiful girl came in, glancing around before stopping at the circular mirror with the golden, intertwined lines.

“Excuse me,” the girl said. “How much for the mirror?”


	3. Becoming a Comic

In a small town, in a small house, in a small room, a girl sat on her bed reading her favorite comic book. He name was Minatozaki Sana. She was a very cute girl with short black hair. She loved to read comic books. Everywhere in her room, a comic book could be seen. They were stacked in her closet, taking up the storage in her drawers, piled all over her desk and floor and bed. Yes, Sana loved comic books.

Sana was in the middle of a particularly good comic when her mother came in. Her mother did not share her love for comics and thought her passion was more of an obsession. She scowled at the comic books that covered her daughter’s room.

“Sana, get up. I’m going to the store,” hr mother said. Sana hummed, flipping the page of her comic. Her mother snatched the book, earning a glare from her. “You’re coming with me. You spend too much time cooped up in your room. Come on. Get up.” Her mother tossed the comic book at her, turning on her heel and walking out the door.

Groaning, Sana heaved herself off her bed. Throwing on a pair of shows and grabbing her comic, she followed her mother to the store. The store wasn’t anything exciting. It was the same boring store, in the same boring town, all year, every year.

That was, of course, before Sana saw an old woman selling old-looking comics. Immediately Sana left her mother’s side, scanning through all the comics. They didn’t seem to be any that Sana hadn’t already read. She blew out a puff of breath, shoving her hands into her pockets.

“Looking for anything in particular?” the old woman asked. Sana turned to her.

“I was just looking for something I haven’t read yet,” Sana told her. The little old lady hummed, shuffling away from her. She moved behind a desk, pulling out a stack of comic books. She set them onto the desk, sending a layer of dust flying.

“I’m sure you haven’t read these before,” the woman said. Sana approached the comics, peering at them. The little old lady was right, Sana hadn’t read these before. In fact, she’d never even heard of them before. She was going to ask the woman where the comics were from when her mother came up to her.

“Sana, what are you doing?” she asked. She peered down at the comic books then over to the woman then to Sana. “No. Absolutely not. You have more than enough of these silly things at home.”

“But Mom, I’ve never seen these before. I’ve never even heard of them before!” Sana said.

“Even more reason you don’t need them. Sorry to have wasted your time,” she said to the old lady. She grabbed Sana’s wrist, pulling her away from the old lady. The woman watched them leave with narrow eyes, a sneer on her lips.

That night, Sana spent the night at her best friend, Y/N’s, house. She hugged Sana, leading her up to her room. The room was set up for a perfect sleepover: pillows and blankets covered the floor, their favorite snacks and drinks sat waiting on a table, on the tv was their favorite drama, and finally, a stack of comics sat on top of the blankets.

“You’re literally the bestest friend in the universe,” Sana said, moving to sit down. Y/N brushed of her shoulder, taking a seat next to Sana.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Y/N said. Sana turned to Y/N excitedly.

“I found some old comics I’ve never read before,” she said. Y/N turned to Sana, her eyes wide. “I know! In fact, I’m pretty sure they’re ancient. I’ve never even heard of them before.”

“That’s so cool! Where are they?” Y/N asked. Sana sighed, leaning against the side of Y/N’s bed.

“I didn’t get them. My mom pulled me away before I had the chance to even ask where they were from. And even though I explained I hadn’t read the before, she refused to let me buy them. Can you believe that?”

“That does suck,” Y/N said. They sat there for a few minutes before an idea went off in Y/N’s head. “Why don’t I buy them?” Sana looked at Y/N with a quirked brow. “If I bought them, then your mother couldn’t tell you you can’t read them!” Sana grinned, pulling her best friend into a hug.

“That’s a wonderful idea, but I don’t want you to waste your money. You have that concert you want to see coming up. No, I’ll buy them, but I can leave them here with you. That way my mom can’t get mad because she won’t even know they’re here.” Y/N nodded.

The girls slipped their shoes on, bustling down to the store where Sana had met the old lady. She was right where Sana had left her, sitting at her desk with the comics next to her.

“I thought you’d be back,” the old woman said. Sana and Y/N approached her. Y/N felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but she brushed it off.

“I was wondering if I could buy the comic books?” Sana said. The old woman smiled and eerie smile.

“Of course my dear. Afterall, these aren’t regular comic books. They’re magic. They can suck you right into the story,” the woman said, a mysterious glint in her eyes. Y/N stared at the books, wondering if Sana’s mother had dragged her away because of Sana’s passion or the old lady.

“We’ll take the lot,” Sana said holding out her money. The old woman grinned a crooked, yet empty, grin. She snatched the money from Sana, pushing the old comic books towards the girls. Sana swept them up, hugging them close to her body.

“Have a good day dearies and remember, only the same person can enter and leave,” the old woman called out to them. Y/N felt a chill run down her spine at the old woman’s words. Sana paid no mine, skipping happily back to Y/N’s house.

Sana immediately dove into the first book when she and Y/N were back in the safety of Y/N’s room. Her eyes filled with a wonder that Y/N wished was directed at her. She sighed, settling next to her best friend’s side. If only Sana would look away from her comics long enough to see the world around her, maybe she could have a new, healthier obsession. After speeding through the first book, Sana let out a content sigh.

“Oh, these books are amazing! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of these,” Sana sighed. Y/N hummed, keeping her eyes focused on the incredibly sexy Park Seo Joon. “I wish we were in a comic book.”

The book began to glow in Sana’s hand. She dropped it with a gasp, capturing Y/N’s attention. The ground began to tremble as the walls began to shake violently. A yellow light came from the book and swirled around both girls. They clung onto each other, closing their eyes until the chaos ceased.

Slowly they opened their eyes. They were no longer in Y/N’s bedroom. Instead, they were in a field on what looked like the outskirts of a city. Behind them the verdant field seemed to stretch endlessly.

“Sana, where are we?” Y/N asked, staring around at everything with a scrunched brow.

“I--I don’t know.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“How do we get back?”

“I don’t know.”

Y/N threw her hands in the air. This was a disaster. They were in some weird ass place with no recollection of how they got there. They didn’t even know where “there” was. Y/N looked around, trying to find some indication about where they were. Sana was staring at the city in confusion and interest.

“Let’s go into the city,” she said. Y/N whipped her body around, staring at Sana with wide eyes. “Don’t give me that look. We don’t know where we are, so let’s find someone who does.” Y/N sighed, following after Sana as she made her way to the city.

The city was, to their small town minds, huge. Skyscrapers disappeared into the sky and there were so many you could barely see the sky. People crowded the sidewalks and cars sat bumper to bumper on the street. Y/N kept a firm grip on Sana’s wrist, fearfully watching everyone. Sana lead them deeper and deeper into the city where it continuously grew more and more loud and crowded.

“Where are we going?” Y/N asked. It seemed like Sana knew where she was going. Not only that, it seemed she knew what was going to happen before it did. She successfully dodged pit-pockets, construction workers, and people in general. Just after they walked by somewhere, something always seemed to happen.

“I think I know where we are, but I’m not sure you’ll believe me,” Sana said.

“We just magically teleported somewhere. Trust me, you couldn’t shock me anymore.”

“I think we’re in my comic book.” Y/N stopped in her tracks, pulling Sana backwards.

“This isn’t funny Sana,” Y/N said. Sana rolled her eyes, pulling Y/N down the street. She pulled her all the way into a sketchy part of the city. Rats ran along the sidewalk as sketchy people stood down unusually dark alleys. “Sana, where are we going?” Y/N hissed, side-eyeing every shadow.

“To find someone to help,” Sana told her. She continued on down until she reached a condemned building. Y/N stopped again, not budging as Sana attempted to pull her in. “Come on Y/N. If you want to get home, we have to go in here.” Y/N shook her head violently.

“I’m closer than I should be. There’s no way I’m going in there.” Sana sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Y/N, this is where the superhero is. If anyone can help us, it’s her.” Y/N shook her head, staring at the building in disgust. “I really didn’t want to have to do this but… ” She went to Y/N, tossing her over her shoulder with much more ease than she had anticipated. Y/N tried to fight, but was unsuccessful in her endeavors.

At the top of the building, Sana set Y/N down near the door, crouching low as she watched the edge of the rooftop. Y/N let out an agitated huff, crossing her arms like a pouty child. Minutes passed by with no sort of action. Y/N let out a bored sigh, letting her head, against her better judgement, rest against the rusted door.

“Where’s the hero?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Sana frowned, still staring at the ledge.

“She should be here by now.”

Y/N turned to Sana, letting out a gasp. She was no longer in her hoodie and leggings, instead, she was in a spandex suit with a mask hanging around her neck. She looked down and gasped. She stood up, spinning around in the outfit.

“Sana, are you the hero?” Sana stared down at herself, a huge smile breaking across her face.

“I think I am. This must be what that lady meant. ‘They suck us right into the story’. This is the best day of my life!” Sana exclaimed. She ran to the edge of the building, successfully yeeting herself off the side. Y/N ran to the edge, peering over to find Sana in the middle of a classic comic book battle. After she finished, Sana came back to Y/N, exhausted and grinning from ear to ear.

“I have no words for any of this,” Y/N said. Sana nodded in agreement, sighing happily.

“I wish we could go home, so we could tell everyone what happened.”

Once again the ground began to shake violently, knocking the girls onto each other. Around them a bright, gold light swirled around them. It covered them in a curtain of shimmering gold sparkles before it disapperated.

They had returned to Y/N’s room. Only it was no longer dark outside. The sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky with soft blues and purples. The tv was still playing Y/N’s drama and Sana’s books laid where she’d left them. Sana was back in her regular clothes, all traces of their adventure gone.

“Wha--what? How’d we get back?” Sana inquired, slightly disappointed. Y/N sat on her bed, her brows furrowed. She thought long and hard about everything that had happened.

“I think it’s like a lamp,” Y/N finally said. Sana gave her a confused look. “When we first went in, it’s because you had wished we were in the book. Then when we left you had said you wanted to come back.”

“You’re right,” Sana said sitting next to Y/N. Y/N bit the inside of her cheek. “But what happens if we don’t say we wanna come back? Like, what if we make it to the end of the book?” Y/N shrugged.

“I’m not sure I want to find out,” Y/N confessed. Sana nodded, taking Y/N’s hand into hers, making Y/N blush. Sana found it cute when Y/N blushed.

“I should head home. I just fought a bunch of bank robbers. It really takes it out of you,” Sana said, dramatically falling back onto Y/N’s bed. Y/N giggled, poking Sana’s side and making her squeal.

“Okay Miss Superhero, go get your beauty sleep--” Y/N let out a yawn-- “I’m going to get some myself.”

Sana returned home and promptly went to sleep. It was a dreamless sleep, but she still woke up refreshed. Smiling happily, Sana picked up one of her favorite comic books. She wished she had brought the magical ones, but at the same time, she wanted to be in them with Y/N. They could have the best adventures together and not worried about being interrupted.

Sana’s mother barged into her room, talking about chores or whatever. Sana was too lost in her own thoughts to have heard anything her mother said. Annoyed, she yanked the book out of Sana’s hand and threw it on the ground. That snapped Sana out of her thoughts, turning to look at her mom with wide eyes.

“What the hell Mom?”

“I am sick and tired of you ignoring me because of those damn books,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “You look at those silly pictures and ignore everything going on around you. Well enough is enough. You’re grounded from comic books. I want all of them in my room.” Sana jumped up from her bed.

“That’s not fair! I was thinking I wasn’t even reading! You’re being completely unfair!” Sana yelled.

“My decision is final.” Sana let out of a groan, pushing past her mom. Her mom called out to her, but she ignored her and left. Sana kept walking until she was back at Y/N’s house. Mrs. L/N didn’t notice or didn’t care when Sana came in unannounced and without a greeting. She went all the way to Y/N’s room.

Y/N was still asleep when Sana burst in, pulling her from her slumber. Sana sat slumped against the side of the bed. Y/N put a hand on Sana’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Y/N mumbled.

“My mom grounded me from my comics. She acts like I have an addiction to them or something,” Sana complained. Y/N hummed, still not fully awake. That was when Sana had an idea. Grabbing one of the magic comic books, she opened it to the first page. “I wish we were in the comic book.”

Everything shook and trembled, and the light swirled around them, and then they were back on the outskirts of the city. Y/N looked around in a sleepy daze.

“Sana, what the hell? Why are we in the comic book?” Y/N asked.

“I just needed an escape. Real life sucks. In here though, we can be heroes. We can have fun without someone telling us to stop. We can be together.” As sweet as her words were, Y/N couldn’t help this strange feeling in her chest, and it wasn’t exactly a nice feeling.

Sana grabbed Y/N’s wrist and pulled her into the city. Y/N didn’t really have a part in the story, so she watched as Sana lived out her childhood dreams. While she was happy for her best friend, she was also concerned. There was something evil in her eyes that didn’t seem natural. Closer towards the end of the book, Y/N pulled Sana aside.

“We should head home,” Y/N said. Sana pouted, giving Y/N her cutest face.

“But Y/N,” she whined, “I don’t want to.” She clung onto to Y/N, batting her eyelashes at her. Y/N shrugged her off.

“Sana, it’s time to go home.” Y/N’s tone came off harsher than she’d meant it to, but Sana wouldn’t give up unless she did. “You’ve played in the comic. Now we’re at the end. It’s time to leave.”

“Why are you being so mean?”

“I’m not. You’re being childish,” Y/N snapped. Sana glared. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. You can stay here. I’m leaving. I wish I was home.” Y/N waited for the thundering and the bright light but it never came. She was still standing there, Sana glaring at her. “Why isn’t it working?”

Up ahead, the sky was slowly turning grey. They had reached the end of the book. Y/N turned to Sana. There was a crazed look in her eyes that she’d never seen before. She turned to look at the sky.

“We’ll never have to leave Y/N. We can live here. Forever.” Y/N called out for help and for someone to take her home, but nothing came. Instead, the grey nothingness surrounded them before enveloping the both of the,, trapping them in their eternal youth as nothing more than illustrations in an old comic book.


	4. The Shrew and the Bunny

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful you woman. She was so beautiful, that everyone who saw her immediately fell in love with her. This upset her a great deal. Not because people thought she was beautiful, but because that’s all people noticed about her. Suitors from near and far ame to win her heart and hand, but were all rejected when they would only talk about her beauty.

While she refused to marry someone who only loved her looks, she was still lonely. To compensate for the lack of true love in he life, she bought a bunny. It wasn’t a pretty bunny. It had been abused for quite sometime and yet the woman thought it was the most perfect bunny. She loved the bunny like how she wished she would be loved.

Years went by and still, no one could when the woman’s heart. Her beauty never faded, but her kindness for the world did. She became ill-tempered and soon refused any suitors, whether they thought she was pretty or not.

While most of the town’s people had grown to fear and loathe the Shrew, one girl still loved her very much. Kim Dahyun had loved Y/N L/N since they were children. Of course she didn’t understand it back then, Dahyun never got over her childhood crush. While Y/N was a handful and hated public interactions, she was tolerable with Dahyun. Everyday Dahyun is happy she and Y/N had been childhood friends.

Though she loved her friend dearly, Dahyun was too afraid to voice her feelings out loud. More than once she’d seen how angry Y/N became when someone would start proclaiming their undying love for her. It never ended well for anyone involved.

Just earlier today, a man who had her of Y/N’s legendary beauty had come to see for himself. When he stood outside her door, calling for her, she opened the door and began beating him repeatedly in the torso with a shoe. Because as any mother will tell you, shoes don’t leave bruises.

“I’m sorry for the interruption,” Y/N said once she sat back down. Dahyun sipped her tea silently, gazing out the window at the man limping away and clutching his sides.

“Not at all,” Dahyun said, turning back to face Y/N. “Well, here’s some good news. He’s only the third one in, what, a month? Much better than when there were five a day.” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Oh don’t remind me. Honestly, when will people learn that there’s more to me than my looks?” Dahyun set her cup down. Y/N’s bunny came hopping into the room, settling itself onto her lap. Y/N began dotting on the creature, making Dahyun glare.

“Well, I say don’t settle until you find someone who appreciates how smart you are, how resourceful and clever you are, how friendly you can be,” Dahyun added in a teasing voice. Y/N offered her a rare smile, and Dahyun felt her heart sore.

“If only everyone was like you Dahyun,” Y/N sighed. She glanced at the clock before sitting up straight. “Oh good gracious look at the time. You best hurry home before your mother has your head.” Dahyun nodded, giving her friend a tight hug before making her way to her own house.

All the while she dreamt of what her and Y/N’s life could be like. They could get married and move to an island. They could have three kids and a pet, maybe a dog or a cat. Just not that stupid bunny. While Dahyun loved Y/N, she hated her bunny. It was like a harsh slap to the face whenever she saw Y/N being so affectionate with it. It’s not like the thing could do much. It couldn’t hold conversations, or make her laugh, or love her like Dahyun could.

Dahyun brushed off her petty jealousy as she entered her house. Immediately she was filled with the smell of her mother’s cooking. She let out a content sigh, walking into the kitchen and sitting at the table. Her mother stood at the stove, stirring a pot with a wooden spoon.

“There you are. I thought I was going to have to send the dogs after you,” her mother said.

“I was just at Y/N’s house,” Dahyun told her. Her mother tisked.

“I don’t understand how you can spend so much time with that shrew.” Dahyun rolled her eyes. “She’s so nasty with everyone, especially men. She’ll never marry if she doesn’t stop her ridiculous behavior.”

“She’s not like that with me, and she’s not a shrew. She just doesn’t want to marry someone who only likes her for her looks. She wants someone who loves her for her, someone who sees her as more than a pretty face, someone--”

“Like you?” he mother interrupted. Dahyun stared at her with her mouth wide open. “It’s no secret sweetness. Everyone can see how you look at her. After all, you’re the only one she even talks to anymore.” Dahyun’s cheeks turned bright pink. “You know, if you like her so much, you should tell her. Like you said, she needs someone to love ‘her for her’. Who better than you?”

“You think so?” Dahyun asked. She had a goofy grin on her face. Her mother nodded.

That night, Dahyun went to sleep happier than she’d ever been. Her mother was right. Who could love Y/N better than her? No one, and she was going to win her heart. No matter what.

Roses were a cliche. Well, red roses were a cliche. White roses were a symbol of pure love. What flowers could be better than those representing pure love? Dahyun held a vase full of them as she made her way to Y/N’s house. She had everything all planned out. She would walk up to her house, she would knock on the door, and when Y/N answered the door, Dahyun would tell her how she really felt.

It was a real shame when, after Dahyun knocked on the door, she put the vase down and ran away. Her heart was pounding as she hid behind a tree. She placed a hand on her chest to magically calm down her breathing. Peeking from behind the tree, she caught a glimpse of Y/N looking around. She hid behind the tree again, leaning her head against the trunk. It wasn’t exactly going as she had planned, but it was better than nothing.

The next day, Dahyun prepared homemade chocolates. The delicacy wafted through the air, earning the attention of multiple people from the street. She had her mother buy a beautiful box and gold twine for the chocolate. Once the chocolate had cooled and hardened, Dahyun wrapped them up individually, placing them in the box carefully before using the twine to tie a pretty bow. She, once again, failed to stay to confess her love, but she saw Y/N pick the box up before she ran of giddy.

That night, she stayed up to pour her heart out into the most romantic letter ever written. Everything she thought about and felt about was written there on paper. The confession flowed out her like water from a waterfall after storm. She wrote and wrote until the early hours of morning.

When she had finished, a huge grin rested on her face. Swiftly she made herself presentable. She put on her favorite dress, did her hair nice, and even spritzed on her favorite perfume. She skipped down the stairs with a spring in her step. Her mother stood in the kitchen, humming a tune as she made breakfast.

“Good morning!” Dahyun called, dancing around the kitchen. Her mother let out a laugh, watching her daughter with a happy heart.

“Someone’s in a cheerful mood,” her mother commented. Dahyun nodded.

“I’m going to do it. Today is the day I go and tell Y/N how I feel. Well, let her read how I feel.” Her mother smiled fondly.

“I’m so proud of you dear. What you’re doing is very sweet and very brave. There’s no way she’d say no.” Dahyun hugged, her mom, thankful for her confidence. “Now go before you chicken out. Invite her over for dinner!” her mother called as she ran out the door.

The whole way down she was positively buzzing. Today was the day. After today, she didn’t have to hide her feelings anymore. People would stop avoiding her and suitors would stop chasing her. She and Dahyun could walk hand in hand instead of at a distance. So many cute domestic thoughts filled her head as she made her way to Y/N’s house.

How life would have been had Dahyun not looked at Y/N’s trash can. A familiar gold twine had caught her eye. There, right on top of the trash, was the box of chocolate she had worked so hard on, unopened. Under them were the roses she had hand picked for her. She stood frozen, her eyes trained on her disregarded tokens of affection. Her heart shattered in her chest. Did Y/N really not return her affection? They’d been friends for so long, had the feelings only been one-sided.

Dahyun refused to believe that. There was no possible way Y/N hadn’t developed feelings for her. The letter still clutched in her hand, Dahyun went back home. She brushed her mother’s questions off as she went to her room. She sat on her bed, her heart and mind racing a mile a minute. So the gifts didn’t work. All she had to do was find a way to impress Y/N in a way that she’ll accept. The only question is: how?

For the next few days, Dahyun followed a very specific schedule. She checked the mail every day to see if Y/N had sent a letter inviting her over. When no such letter was found, she made her way to the backwoods around Y/N’s house. Dressed in trousers and a loose shirt, she climbed up a tree that was close to Y/N’s house, but not so close that Y/N would see her. For days she would watch Y/N move around her house. She watched her clean and read and eat. She watched as she bathed and dressed herself and dotted on that damned bunny. Her eyes followed her movements carefully with every action she did.

Despite all this, she was no closer to an answer than she had been when she started her, ahem, observations. She sat at her desk, frustrated beyond belief. Her mother entered her room slowly, moving to sit on her bed.

“Sweetheart, you should really just talk to her. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for why she, ahem, didn’t keep the gifts. I’m sure she just thinks it’s from another silly guy who doesn’t know her. A good relationship is built on honesty and communication,” her mother told her.

As her mother stood up and left, she turned her words over in her head. Her mother was happily married, so surely she knew what she was talking about. With nothing else to do or go on, Dahyun heaved herself off her bed.

While she was walking to Y/N’s house, she came across a peddler with strange vials and jars. Against her better judgement, Dahyun stopped at the peddler’s cart. An old woman stared at her, her eyes dark and emotionless.

“I sense great turmoil in your heart,” she said. She rummaged around in the cart before producing a small vial with a glowing pink liquid in it. “I promise dearie, this will solve all your troubles.” She wrapped her long, slender fingers around Dahyun’s wrist, pushing the vial into the palm of her hand. “Take this, but be careful. Don’t let jealousy win the battle, because then you’ll lose the war.” Then the little old woman picked her cart and began to walk away, leaving Dahyun stunned.

She shoved the vial into her pocket, continuing on her way to Y/N’s. She stopped just outside the gate, anxiety weighing heavily on her heart. Her hand went to her pocket, pulling out the mysterious vial. The pink liquid swirled around, looking like something out of a fairytale. Taking a deep breath, she uncorked the bottle, brought it to her lips,and tipped her head back.

Whatever it was, it was awful. It smelled like turpentine and tasted like Indian ink. Dahyun threw the bottle away coughing as the thick liquid ran down her throat. No sooner had she recovered from that traumatic experience, Y/N burst out her front door, running to Dahyun.

“Dahyun! Please, help me!” she called. Dahyun opened the gate, meeting her halfway. Y/N was hyperventilating and there were tears brimming in her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Dahyun asked. She help Y/N steady her breathing enough for her to talk.

“It’s my bunny. She’s missing. She was by my side moments ago and I went to get a book and the next thing I knew she was gone. I saw the back window open and I think she got out,” Y/N explained, fanning herself.

“Hey, she probably is in the backwoods. She couldn’t have gone too far. I’ll help you look for her,” Dahyun said. Y/N threw her arms around Dahyun, pulling her into a hug and muttering out her gratitude. Dahyun relished in her touch, her heart speeding up in her chest.

They split up and headed off in separate directions. She wasn’t really trying to find that accursed bunny. After all, Y/N didn’t need it anymore. Dahyun was there for her. That bunny couldn’t care Y/N the way she could, it could comfort Y/N the way she could, it couldn’t love her the way she could. Dahyun wouldn’t feel bad if she never saw that blasted bunny again.

But luck was not on her side tonight. Like she had said, the bunny hadn’t gone far. It sat on the stump of a tree, watching Dahyun with its beady, black eyes. It didn’t move as Dahyun approached it. It simply stared at her, unblinking. A fit of jealousy roared in Dahyun’s heart.

She grabbed the bunny by its neck, her fist squeezing. Her eyes held the flames of hell, yet they were so cold and desolant. The bunny began to squirm in her grip, but she didn’t let go. She squeezed and squeezed until she heard a loud snap.

All at once her jealousy left her. She dropped the bunny, its limp body hitting the ground with a resounding thump. The weight of what she’d done began to weigh down on her as she stared at the dead bunny. She began pacing, her mind going over every scenario. Then the peddler’s words echoed through her head.

Picking up the small corpse, she ran out of the woods and back down the road to find the peddler. She was sitting on the road, a warm cup of tea in her hands. She glanced up at Dahyun, her eyebrows raised.

“I can save the bunny, but it will cost you,” the peddler said.

“I’ll pay any price,” Dahyun said breathlessly. A brief twinkle sparkled in the peddler’s eye.

“Everything comes with a price.” She handed Dahyun another vial. However, this one was a sickly green. Placing the bunny on the cart, she uncorked the vial and tipped it back. It tasted better than the pink vile, like sweet honey with extra sugar.

A sharp pain hit Dahyun in her chest. It was so bad she ended up passing out.

When she awoke, she was slightly disoriented. She wasn’t on the street where she had been before she passed out, but she definitely wasn’t in her room. In the distance she heard crying. She tried to stand but her legs felt weird. She tried to look down but found she couldn’t. Glancing around, she had to do a double take when she saw herself in the mirror. Her body wasn’t her own.

Instead of her body, she was a bunny. Not just any bunny though. She looked just like Y/N’s bunny. This had to be a dream. There was no way she was the bunny. Attempting to move, she began hopping as best she could. She stumbled along until she was in Y/N’s parlor. On the couch was Y/N and Dahyun’s mother. Both were in tears.

“It’s all my fault,” Y/N sniffled. “If I had never sent her out to find my bunny, she wouldn’t have broken her neck.” Who broke their neck?

“Oh my dear,” her mother sighed. “Dahyun would have done everything for you. She never had the chance to tell you, but she loved you.” Her mother pulled out the letter she had written just barely a week ago. “This is for you. I’m sure she’d want you to read it.” Y/N accepted the letter, immediately reading it. She began to cry more, burying her head in her hands.

“I wish I’d known sooner. I feel the same way. God, why did I have to be so stubborn?” Dahyun’s mom rubbed her back soothingly. “I miss her so much.”

“I do too,” her mother whispered. “But she’s in a better place. She died doing something for someone she loved.”

Dahyun stumbled to the room, trying to tell them she was still alive and stuck in a bunny’s body. But all that came out was annoying whines. Y/N picked Dahyun up setting her up on her lap. Y/N stroked Dahyun’s back, soothing her. She may not be able to love like she could have as a human, but now Y/N would love her. And only her.


	5. Little Wooden Children

Outside a school, on a beautiful, sunny day, a group of kids stood huddled on the road. In between them, a young girl lay curled on the street. The kids were kicking her, shouting mean things at her, and laughing at her tears. No one came to rescue the girl for a while.

Then the most miraculous thing happened. Another little girl came over, pushing past the circle of little heathens. She pushed them away, yelling at them and threatening to get the teachers. The kids sneered at this brave girl before running off to torment some other kid. The girl turned to the crying girl who was still in the fetal position.

“They’re gone,” she said. The girl quieted her sobbing, peering up at her hero. The second girl held her hand out for her. “You don’t have to worry about them. They’re just big babies. I’m Y/N.” Y/N helped the girl to her feet.

“I’m--I’m Jeongyeon.” Y/N gave Jeongyeon a toothy grin.

“You’re my friend now Jeongyeon. I’ll always be here to stop you from being bullied.” Y/N wrapped her short arm around Jeongyeon, waltzing her back to the school.

That was how Y/N and Jeongyeon became good friends. Of course, the bullying never stopped. The kids still picked on Jeongyeon, but they did it in class since Y/N was an older student. At first Jeongyeon tried to report them, but the students held too much sway over the school. She soon just let it happen, growing numb to it as time went on. Y/N still stood up for her, telling the snot-nosed brats to leave her alone, but that didn’t help anything.

Life really took a sharp curve when Y/N graduated and went on to college. Sure she was still around, but Jeongyeon’s school protector was gone. Now hell’s gates were open. Jeongyeon was walking in the high school when a gang of kids appeared out of nowhere. They quickly surrounded her, pushing her against a nearby locker.

“Awww, where’s your little guard dog now?” they taunted. Jeongyeon said nothing, keeping her eyes trained on the floor.

“What? Are you too good to talk to us?” another snipped, shoving her back into the locker. Jeongyeon still said nothing, waiting for this hellish nightmare to be over.

“I think this stuck-up bitch needs a lesson.”

And just like all those years ago, they attacked her. They punched, kicked, and called her awful names. They shoved her against the lockers and even threw her on to the floor. They continued their assault until the bell rang. Then they scattered like rats, leaving Jeongyeon in a heap on the hallway floor.

Heaving herself up, she limped out of the school, teachers and students staring at her like she was some circus freak. She could taste blood in her mouth as she walked home. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had some broken bones. Those bullies hadn’t held back in their assault. She limped home, offering her mother a quick notice of her arrival before locking herself away in her room.

She slid down onto the floor, letting her head rest against her door. Silent tears flowed down her face as the pain and trauma kicked in all at once. She wrapped her arms around her throbbing sides, closing her eyes as tears flowed out of her like a river after rain. After some time had passed, she went to relax on her bed, too emotionally drained to do much else other than sleep. Thank god it was the weekend.

The next morning, Jeongyeon washed away yesterday’s pain with a nice, hot shower. Looking in the mirror, she saw she had a busted lip and a blackeye. She sighed, drying her hair and getting dressed. She made her way to the kitchen where her mother was making breakfast.

Her mother did a double take when she sat down. She let out a tired sigh, handing her daughter a plate of food. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee. She sat down across from Jeongyeon, watching as she tried not to shovel her food.

“Oh baby, I wish you would let me help,” she said. Jeongyeon let her fork clatter against her plate. She glanced up at her mother, a scowl on her face.

“I told you--” Jeongyeon said-- “you’ll only make matters worse.”

“Honey, things have gotten worse. I checked on you after you went to sleep. You’ve never come home like that. Sweetheart, I’m worried, and if you won’t let me help, then at least heed my advice. Be kind. There is no better way to kill the awfulness and cruelty of the world than with kindness.” Jeongyeon paused momentarily to look up at her mother before she continued eating.

Later that day, Y/N came by for a surprise visit. Jeongyeon gave her a big hug, being wary of her still sore side. Y/N let out a groan, giving Jeongyeon a pointed look. Jeongyeon gave her a half smile.

“Are those assholes still bothering you? Why didn’t you tell me?” Y/N asked. Jeongyeon shrugged.

“I’m not a baby anymore I can handle my own problems,” Jeongyeon said. Y/N gave her a rueful smile.

“It doesn’t mean you have to.” Y/N let out a deep sigh. “But if you’re going to, then I suggest standing up for yourself. Show them you’re not someone to be messed with,” Y/N suggested. Jeongyeon nodded. “Good, now come on. I haven’t seen you in forever.” Y/N dragged Jeongyeon to her room where they spent the rest of the weekend having girl time.

The weekend ended much sooner than Jeongyeon would have liked. Putting on her uniform, she trudged her way to school. She walked slower than usual, not caring if she was late as long as she wasn’t early. On the way, however, she came across a little old lady sitting on the side of the road. Next to her was a box full of wooden marionettes.

“Ma’am,” Jeongyeon called. “Are you alright?” The old woman smiled, waving her over. Not wanting to go to school, Jeongyeon approached the old woman. She gave her a kind smile, turning to Jeongyeon.

“I’m quite alright dear. You are the first person to ask me how I am,” the old woman said. She placed a hand over Jeongyeon’s. “My dear, most people think I’m crazy, but let me tell you this. For your kindness, may your heart be filled with unbridled courage. May those who treat you bad see that you are not someone to mess with. But, if you take this courage, and use it to mistreat others, you’ll find that you won’t be able to do much later.”

Jeongyeon nodded, quickly standing up and running to school. Surely she would be late by now, but as she approached the school yard, she found that, not only was she not late, she was actually early. She almost turned on her heel and ran, but it was too late. The bullies had already seen her. 

“Well, look who decided to come back, and here we thought you wouldn’t show your face. We had a bet and everything. I don’t like losing bets.” The kid went to swing, but instead of taking, ike Jeongyeon usually did, she dodged. She dodged the entire attack. Everyone stared in shock. Even Jeongyeon.

A small crowd had gathered around Jeongyeon and the bully. The bully’s nostrils were flaring as they stared at Jeongyeon. The bully charged, swinging wildly, but each time Jeongyeon dodged effortlessly. The crowd was laughing, mocking the bully as they had done to Jeongyeon. And for the first time, in a long time, Jeongyeon felt happy. She felt empowered.

The next time the bully charged, not only did Jeongyeon dodge the attack, she threw a punch. A punch that landed square on the bully’s jaw. A punch that sent the bully to the ground. A punch that caused an uproar with the students as they hoisted her onto their shoulders, parading around the school yard and carrying her into the building. She was now on a new pedestal.

When she went home that day, she was in the best mood she’d been in since she and Y/N had become friends. Her mother noticed her change too. When her she heard her daughter laughing and saw her smiling, her heart burst with joy. Her daughter was happy, and she couldn’t want anything more.

The joy in their home grew ten-fold when Y/N came over. Jeongyeon told her what happened, and in an ecstatic state, Y/N kissed Jeongyeon. Everyone was happy then, giving cheers and celebration for Jeongyeon.

Sadly, the happiness was short-lived. Because the bullies had so much pull, they had the principal expel Jeongyeon for fighting. Her family went and tried to argue, but it was futile. Angry and upset, Jeongyeon stormed out of the house, not really sure where she was going.

She kept walking and walking until she reached the rich neighborhood. Expensive cars sat in the driveways of massive mansions. Their fresh and neatly cut grass was littered with controversal, political pickets and stupid little lawn knomes. She continued to walk down their perfect little road until she came to one house in particular.

She glanced up to the second floor, to the only room with a light on. In the room sat the toughest guy and the prettiest girl in school. She shoved her hands into her pocket, staring at them through narrowed eyes. They were acting just like you would expect, fondling each other like a bunch of hormonal teenagers.

The girl noticed Jeongyeon, frantically pointing at her. The guy made eye contact with Jeongyeon, trying to shoo her away. Jeongyeon glanced down at the door before looking back at the pair with an arched brow. The girl was beginning to panic and shoving the guy. Jeongyeon took a step towards the door.

The guy made quick work and climbed out of the window, marching towards Jeongyeon like and angered bull. She dodged his punch, throwing one of her own. It landed square on his jaw, sending him spiraling to the ground. He clutched it agony, letting out a low groan. She didn’t stop. She continued her violent attack.Throwing one punch after another. Soon her knuckles were a bloody mess, but she didn’t care.

She stood, shaking her hand. It was throbbing and bruised and bloody, but none of that mattered. Jeongyeon felt better. She felt more than better. She couldn’t put it into words, but she had to get home. As quickly as possible, and with help from a stranded bike, she got home a lot faster.

She climbed to her window, quietly slipping in. Her lights turned on, revealing Y/N in her doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stared at Jeongyeon.

“Where did you go?” she asked. Jeongyeon didn’t answer. Instead, she took three strides towards Y/N before crashing their lips together. She gripped her shirt, pulling her into her room. She closed and locked the door then turned back to Y/N. She pushed her onto the bed, crawling between her legs. They spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms and sheets.

The next morning, Y/N was gone when Jeongyeon woke up. Stretching, images of the previous night flashed through her mind, making her smile. That was until her hand brushed against the wall. She flinched, her hand was still sore from last night.

Quickly and carefully, she got dressed slipping downstairs to find some ice. Her mother was on the phone, angrily yelling at what she presumed to be the school. Not paying much mind, she grabbed a cup of orange juice and a bag of ice. She watched as her mother hung up the phone, slamming it down.

Her mother turned to her, a soft look on her face. Jeongyeon gave her a tired smile. Her mother glanced down at her hand before doing a double take. She stared at it with a sort of blank stare.

“What happened there?” her mother asked. Jeongyeon looked down at her hand, offering a shrug.

“Probably hit a tree or a pole last night,” Jeongyeon said. Her mother nodded, tearing her eyes away from her daughter’s hand. “Well, I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll see you later. Love you!” She didn’t wait for her mother’s response as she ran out the door.

As she was walking around town, she ran into the baddest kids in the school. They weren’t mean, but they were known for their brawls. Jeongyeon watched as they approached her, cigarettes dangling from their lips. Their leader stepped forward, a smirk on his lips.

“We saw you beat up that asshole a couple days ago,” he began. “I have to say, that was impressive. We didn’t think you’d last five seconds, yet you beat the poor bastard up.” Jeongyeon nodded, briefly scanning over the other kids. “Don’t worry kid, we’re not here to pick a fight. We actually wanted to invite you to join our little gang.”

“Join you guys?” Jeongyeon asked surprised. The leader shrugged.

“Why not? You’ve got moxie kid, and I like it.” Jeongyeon thought about it, the idea tempting. “We can get you back into the school. I’m sure it would make your parents happy.” Jeongyeon nodded.

“Alright. You have a deal,” Jeongyeon said bowing. The leader smirked, slightly bowing back.

Jeongyeon went back home immediately to tell her mother the good news. At first her mother was excited, but then she asked how she knew. And when Jeongyeon told her mother exactly how, her cheerful demeanor dimmed.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” her mother asked. Jeongyeon cocked her head to the side.

“Why wouldn’t it be? Do you not want me to go back to school?” she inquired.

“Of course I want you to go to school. But I don’t know if you should be hanging out with people like that.” Jeongyeon frowned.

“I’m finally being accepted and you want me to give that up? Because of a stupid reputation? No. I won’t. You can’t make me.” Jeongyeon ran up to her room, slamming her door and locking it.

For a bit, nothing exciting happened. Jeongyeon returned to school where everyone was just as they’d always been, but they just didn’t make fun of her. She was beginning to think the gang had ditched her when they showed up at the school after the dismissal bell.

“Hey kid, we have a little initiation for you. Nothing serious, but it’s kind of mandatory. Protocall if you will,” the leader said. Jeongyeon nodded, following them down the road. They lead her to the bank. Sun was setting, painting the sky in soft purples and dark reds. “Okay kid, it’s real simple. All you have to do is add something to the wall. Preferably something thought provoking or funny.” One of the members tossed her a spray paint can.

“On the bank wall?” she inquired. They all nodded, taking a couple steps back. She thought about it for a second before an idea hit her. As quickly as she could, she began spraying her message. When she was done, the sun had set completely and all she had was the gang’s flashlights and the street lamps. She stepped back, tossing the can to a member. The leader stepped forward, reading the message out loud.

“‘I’m not saying don’t trust the government, I’m just saying don’t believe Capitalist propaganda’.” He nodded, turning to Jeongyeon. “Not bad kid. Welcome to the gang.” They walked her home, making sure she made it inside before disappearing into the night. She gave her mom a greeting before she went to her room.

On her bed, sat Y/N. Immediately Jeongyeon brightened up. She sat next to Y/N wrapping her arms around her. Y/N didn’t make any move. Sitting back, Jeongyeon stared at Y/N.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jeongyeon asked. Y/N inhaled deeply.

“I saw what you did,” Y/N said. Jeongyeon stared at her confused. “At the bank. I saw what you did when I was on my way to see you.” Y/N turned to look at Jeongyeon. “Why would you do that?”

“It’s nothing serious--”

“You defaced government property! That’s a serious offense Jeonyeon!”

“It was just a little initiation. Calm down.”

“Sure, that’s what it is now. But soon it’s going to get bigger and bigger, and then you’re in jail. Or worse, you’re dead in a ditch somewhere!”

“You’re making this out to be bigger than it needs to be,” Jeongyeon said, an edge in her voice.

“Because I need you to understand you’re going down a dark path, and if you get too far you may not be saved,” Y/N argued. Jeongyeon stared at her.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t save me?”

“Now you’re putting words in my mouth.”

“And you’re accusing me of things I haven’t done. I thought you were here because you wanted to be with me, but if all you’re going to do is lecture me, then just leave.” Y/N said nothing for a few minutes before standing up and moving towards the door. She paused briefly, glancing back at Jeongyeon.

“I wanted to be with the you I knew before. I don’t know who you are anymore.” She left and in a fit of anger, Jeongyeon punched her wall, effectively putting a hole in it. Nostrils flaring and blood boiling, she left her house through her window. She needed to clear her head before she did something irrational.

But irrationality won. She ended up vandalising nearby stores, smashing windows and spray painting walls. But it didn’t stop that night. She skipped school to smoke and cause chaos. She pushed people around, not caring who they were: children, adults, old people, mothers, fathers, lovers--especially lovers. She loathed them more than anyone. What right did they have to be happy when she was so miserable.

As her deeds grew darker, she found she was having some difficulty moving. Her body seemed to be going stiff. No matter what she did to alleviate the growing pain all over her body, nothing seemed to work.

One day she was walking down the road that led to her school when she spotted the old lady from months ago. How funny it was to think about that time. Things were so different. She was a frightful little mouse back then, but she had Y/N then. Y/N hadn’t spoken to her since that night. Sometimes, when the night was quiet and the gang wasn’t doing anything, Jeongyeon would walk by her house. Y/N was usually curled on her couch watching tv or reading a book. There were times when she would stand outside her door, hand raised to knock before she would turn and continue walking down the road.

She crossed the road to approach the old lady. She still had her little suitcase of marinette dolls. The old woman wasn’t smiling like she had before. In fact, she seemed to be void of all emotions.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” Jeongyeon asked. The little old woman slowly turned her head to stare into Jeongyeon’s eyes. Her gaze was intense and unwavering, sending Jeongyeon’s heart into a sort of panic frenzy.

“You used my courage to mistreat others,” she said. “Now you’ll find you can’t do much.” Jeongyeon stared at her confused. She glanced down at the lady’s hands. She was holding four pieces of string, like the ones on the marinettes. A sharp pain hit Jeongyeon in the arm. Looking down, she saw her arm was no longer flesh. Instead, it was becoming wood and was she shrinking.

Panicking, Jeongyeon stood up to run away, but then the sharp pain hit her legs. She fell face first into the road. Ignoring the pain, she tried to crawl away. but it was futile, she couldn’t move anymore. Her body was hard and stiff. Soon, she couldn’t even blink.

She felt someone pick her up and came face to face with the old woman. The old woman tied the strings to her before placing her next to other dolls. Oh what an awful fate. But kids who act like jackasses, don’t meet the same fate as those who act with kindness.


	6. Curse of the Forsaken

In a kingdom far away, there lived a king and a queen. They were very fair and very loved by their people. As happy as they were with their lives, there was one thing they desired more than anything. They desired a child. No matter how hard they tried, they simply could not conceive. Against their advisor’s warning, they went to see a witch who lived deep in the mountains.

The witch gave the king and queen a special and rare flower to help them conceive. The witch warned them that all magic comes with a price and told them that the price should not be met with fear. They nodded, eagerly taking the flower.

And it worked. They were blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby girl. When she passed all examinations, she was introduced to the kingdom as Princess Park Jihyo. The witch’s warning wasn’t far from their minds, but they still didn’t know the price. They loved their daughter more than anything, so surely whatever price there was couldn’t be bad.

It wasn’t until Jihyo was five when the price came to light. Upset over a trivial thing, Jihyo had cried. But unlike her previous temper tantrums, her room began to turn cold. Snow began falling inside the nursery, scaring the poor nanny. Leaving Jihyo sobbing in her bed, the nanny ran to the king and queen. Immediately they went to their daughter, only to find her room covered in a foot of snow. This had been the price, a daughter forsaken by powers.

The king was beside him, upset his daughter was a monster. The queen did not share this view. Their daughter was not a monster. She was simply special. However, the kingdom may not have shared the same view as the queen, so the king and queen came to decision to hide her powers. If they could teach her to control her powers, then they wouldn’t have to hide away. Until such time, she was to remain out of the public’s sight.

For a while, Jihyo was lonely. Yes she had her servants and yes her parents visited her whenever they had free time, but she didn’t have anyone her own age. That was until one of the maids brought her daughter who was the same age as Princess Jihyo. Princess Jihyo quickly befriended the girl, and dubbed her Lady Y/N, making her her lady-in-waiting when they were older.

On Jihyo’s twentieth birthday, a large ball was held in celebration. Out of fear of her powers being discovered, Jihyo told her parents she didn’t wish to attend. They accepted her reason, telling her she could come down at any time if she wished so.

She sat on her bed as Y/N brushed her hair, being careful not to yank to hard or hurt Princess Jihyo.

“Personally, I think you should go,” Y/N said. “You only turn twenty once and this will be your last birthday before you’re crowned queen.”

“I don’t feel like having the attention on me, you know,” Jihyo said. “I thought I was ready this year, but I’m not. Maybe next year.” Y/N bit her lip, contemplating. Jihyo turned her head, quirking a brow at her friend. “What? I can the gears in your head turning.”

“Well, maybe you can attend, but not as yourself,” Y/N suggested. Jihyo quirked a brow.

“It’s not a Masquerade,” Jihyo informed her. Y/N nodded.

“Well, if you were to attend, perhaps as a maid, since the public hasn’t seen you, you could experience the ball without anyone giving you a second glance,” Y/N explained. Jihyo mauled over the idea. Y/N made some pretty good points. It would be so easy for Jihyo to blend in, and as long as her parents didn’t see her, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone looking at her. “Well, what do you say?” Y/N asked. Jihyo bit her lip.

“Let’s do it.” Y/N clapped excitedly.

“I’ll go get one of my dresses, and then we’ll get you dressed.”

Y/N scurried out of Jihyo’s room before returning shortly after with a simple but beautiful dress. Jihyo stepped behind her changing wall, Y/N following. Jihyo stripped herself of her nightgown, letting it pool by her feet. She kicked it away as Y/N began to help her into the dress. Y/N worked quickly and swiftly, pulling the straps of the corset tight.

“Okay, are you ready?” Y/N asked. Jihyo nodded, biting her lip. Y/N slipped her arm though Jihyo’s leading her down to the ballroom.

Her parents really had gone all out for her birthday. Beautiful silver streamers hung from the ceiling, making the whole room glitter. Jihyo stared in amazement at the decoration and the food and the amazing outfits everyone wore. She stayed close to Y/N, walking along the outskirts of the ballroom, being sure to steer clear from where the thrones sat, where her parents sat.

“This is absolutely amazing,” Jihyo said in awe. Y/N smiled.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself your high-- Jihyo,” Y/N said. The girls giggled, watching as the nobles from other countries danced merrily. “Are you thirsty?”

“Parched.” Y/N nodded, hurrying off to get them something to drink. Jihyo continued to watch everyone dance, secretly wishing she could dance with them. She sighed wistfully. Maybe one day.

“Such a pretty face shouldn’t be so sad.” Jihyo looked over to see an old man dressed in fancy clothing standing rather close to her. She nodded, looking back at the dancers. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Min, from the North Provence.”

“A pleasure Lord Min,” Jihyo said softly, bowing. She took a step away from him, but he took another step closer.

“Such a pretty thing shouldn’t be all alone here. You should be dancing, enjoying yourself,” Lord Min told her. She didn’t say anything, discreetly looking for Y/N. This old man was giving her the creeps. ‘Don’t be so shy. I’m not going to hurt you. I would, however, like a dance.”

“I’m honored, but no thank you,” Jihyo said. Her voice was soft but sharp. Lord Min didn’t like it at all.

“I’m sorry. I think I misheard you. Did you say, ‘no thank you’?” he asked. She nodded, keeping her head turned away from him. “I don’t think you realize who I am. I’m Lord Min of the Northern Provence. As a simple maid, you will show me respect.” Jihyo turned to him.

“I respectfully decline your invitation to dance Lord Min. Enjoy the rest of the ball,” Jihyo said. She had had enough of the ball and was ready to return to her chamber. She turned to leave but Lord Min grabbed onto her arm, pulling her into him. She struggled a bit, staring up into his eyes. “Remove your hands from me at once.”

“You little minx, do you know who you’re talking to? You ungrateful little whore.” Jihyo struggled against his grip. She tried to shake him off, but for an old guy, his grip was strong. “Maybe I should teach you some manners.” Anger flared in Jihyo’s chest--anger and fear.

“I. Said. Let. Me. Go!” With all her strength, she threw Lord Min off of her. He went flying backwards. For the first time in forever, Jihyo raised her hand, letting the ice flow out of her hand and encircle Lord Min, building an ice prison around him.

Immediately dark clouds filled the ballroom. The music stopped as murmurs broke out. Everyone turned to look at Jihyo and Lord Min. Y/N had returned and was staring at the scene before her with a slack jaw. The king and queen had come to see the commotion as well and stood dumbstruck at their daughter.

“Jihyo, what have you done?” her mother asked. She turned to look at her parents, her anger leaving her. She looked at Lord Min, the weight of what she’d done settling in. She opened her mouth to defend herself but nothing came out.

“Monster!”

Jihyo looked at the crowd. They were staring at her in horror. Even Y/N was looking at her like she was a monster. Even her own father. Fear, regret, and sorrow took over Jihyo’s emotions. The clouds grew darker and what was a light flurry turned into heavy snowfall. Breathing heavily, Jihyo ran out of the ballroom, past the confused staff and the even more confused people outside the palace. With every step she took, ice spread. It covered the ground, creeping up the sides of buildings, but Jihyo didn’t stop. She didn’t stop until she was so far away, she couldn’t hear the screams of her people or see the lights of her kingdom.

Broken and alone, she collapsed onto the freshly fallen snow, praying to succumb to the freezing temperature. But she couldn’t even feel the numbing cold. Devastated by everything, she curled into a ball on the ground, letting the snow slowly bury her.

Back at the palace, everyone was in an absolute frenzy. The nobles were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The king and queen were in absolute distraught. Y/N was shocked at the whole thing. She hadn’t known that Jihyo had powers, but it made sense. Why else would the king and queen hide her? Why else would Jihyo be so unwilling to go into public? Y/N felt guilty for pushing this onto Jihyo.

“I’m going to find her,” Y/N said. Everyone stopped to look at her. “Jihyo is my friend. This is my fault. I pushed her to come to the ball. It’s only fair I go and get her. Besides, if you go and something happens, the kingdom is left without a ruler. If I die, then it’s my just desserts.” Y/N ran out of the ballroom, changing into warmer clothes before embarking on her journey to find Jihyo and bring her home, where she belonged.

Jihyo was slowly beginning to pass out when she spotted a figure coming to her. Jihyo was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, seeing as the cold was finally getting to her. She had passed out by the time the figure would have been close enough for her to see properly.

When she woke up, she was in a warm, tiny hut. She was on a couch next to a roaring fire. She let out a content sigh, scooching closer to the warmth.

“Glad to see you’re awake dearie.”

Jihyo sat up and saw a little old lady sitting in a chair across from the couch. She had long white hair and was sipping a cup of something. She had a green shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

“You gave me quite the fright there. I thought I was too late, but you’re a tough one. Always knew you would be,” the old woman didn’t seem to be talking to Jiho, more like to the space around her. “I warned them. I warned them if they didn’t show love, they’d regret it. I told them all magic comes with a price, but they were so desperate. It’s a shame. I had no hope for him, but her--her I had a sliver of hope.” She shook her head, taking another sip from her cup. “A real shame. They seemed like such a nice couple.”

“Excuse me ma’am, but who are you talking about?” Jihyo asked. The old lady turned to look at Jihyo. And for the first time, Jihyo saw that the old woman was blind. The woman smiled, showing her yellow and decaying teeth.

“Why you’re parents my dear. Who else would I be talking about?” the old woman laughed. Jihyo stared at her confused.

“Wha--you know my parents?”

“Of course dearie, why do you think you are the way you are? It wasn’t an accident and you’re not an alien.”

“My parents never mentioned you,” Jihyo said.

“Well of course not dearie. Why would they tell their oldest daughter that the reason you exist is because a crazy old witch gave them a magic flower?” the old woman said.

“What? ‘Oldest daughter’? ‘Magic flower’?” Jihyo was so confused. “I don’t have a sister. I’m an only child.” The witch stared at Jihyo unblinking.

“Oh my. Oh dearie. Why do you think your parents locked you away? Because you can make it snow? No dearie. They locked you away because you killed your sister.” Jihyo stared at the witch in horror. She shook her head, covering her ears.

“No I didn’t I never had a sister and I never would have killed her,” Jihyo said. The witch took another sip from her cup.

“Dearie, I never said you purposely killed her. You were only five. You wanted to play, but you had to be quiet because the baby was asleep. That’s when your powers first showed up. The nanny ran to get your parents, momentarily forgetting your sister was still asleep in the nursery. Then it started snowing. There was a foot of snow covering the nurser, including the crib where your sister slept. Your parents were devastated, your father moreso. That’s why they kept you hidden dearie.”

Jihyo felt sick to her stomach. As the witch talked, the memories came back. She remembered it so vividly. She covered her ears, rocking back and forth as the temperature of the hut dropped significantly. She was a murderer. She had taken the life of an innocent baby, her own sister. Tears streaked her face as the horrible realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

“I’m a monster.” The witch slammed the cup down on her saucer, startling Jihyo.

“You are not a monster. You were five years old. You had no control whatsoever.”

“What about tonight?”

“You were perfectly fine until that horrible bastard mistreated you. You gave him what he deserved, and you didn’t kill him. You never had an incident since you were five until tonight. And neither were your fault. You are not a monster. You are special and nothing less, so that silly notion that you’re some type of monster, let it go” Jihyo stared at the old lady. “It’s late my dear. You should get going.” Jihyo stared at her in confusion.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” Jihyo told her. The old lady smiled, ushering her towards the door.

“Then build one dearie.” She closed the door, leaving Jihyo out in the snow.

Jihyo hiked up her dress, trudging through the snow. She kept going until she was in the middle of a clearing way up in the mountain. The old woman’s words echoed through her head. Taking a deep breath, Jihyo focused her energy. She felt the power flow from her heart to her fingertips. She closed her eyes, fully immersing herself in her powers. Unlike before she wasn’t scared. In fact, she felt at peace.

She opened her eyes, and found that, from her own hands, a beautiful ice palace was manifesting around her. It sparkled as the rising sun shone over it. Higher and higher it stretched towards the heavens. Jihyo let out a laugh, dancing around in her beautiful creation. Oh how beautiful it was.

Hours later, there was a knock at the door. Curious, Jihyo went down to see who it was. She was delighted to see Y/N standing in the main foyer. When Y/N saw Jihyo, she let out a sigh of relief. Running as carefully as she could, she ran until she could pull Jihyo into her arms.

“I thought I’d never you find you,” Y/N said. “I looked for hours. I had to ask this weird dude and his dog for help and this stupidly endearing child, but I’m just happy you’re here and okay.” Looking around, Y/N took a moment to appreciate the beautiful palace she was in. “Did you make this?”

“Yeah. I realized that I’m not a monster. It really wasn’t my fault my sister died. It was an accident. And Lord Min deserved what he got,” Jihyo said. Y/N stared at her confused.

“What are you talking about? You never had a sister, and who’s Lord Min?” Y/N asked. Jihyo smiled, leading Y/N up to the top floor where Jihyo had made a sculpted bedroom.

“See, I didn’t know I had a sister either, or well, I didn’t remember. Mother and Father never talked about her, but when I first made my nursery snow, I accidently killed her. I feel bad, but I was little and didn’t mean to. As for Lord Min, he was the jerk noble who was in the ice dome,” Jihyo explained, moving to sit on her bed.

“Jihyo, there wasn’t anyone in the ice dome. And you never had a sister. I know because my mom was your nanny. Your parents couldn’t have children. That’s why you have powers. Magic comes with a price.”

“Yeah but--” Jihyo paused, turning to look at Y/N. “What did you say?”

“I don’t know what--”

“You said all magic comes with a price. That’s what the witch said to me,” Jihyo said. Y/N smiled ruefully. Jihyo was breathing heavily, staring at Y/N. “If I didn’t have a sister, then who was the baby in the crib. Y/N let out a sigh.

“That was me.” Jihyo blinked. “My mom had just given birth to me and had out me to sleep in your nursery. You were jealous, mad she wasn’t paying you attention. You began crying and my mom went to get your parents. When they returned, I was buried under a foot of snow--dead. My mother was absolutely grief stricken as was my father. He killed himself, leaving my mother all alone.”

“You’re lying. You’re right here. That couldn’t have been you.” Y/N tisked Jihyo, smiling sadly.

“Jihyo, think really hard. What’s my last name?”

“L/N.” Y/N shook her head. “No you’re name is Y/N L/N. You’re my best friend and lady-in-waiting.” Y/N continued to shake her head.

“My name was Min Y/N. You couldn’t handle being alone so you thought me up. You brought me back from the dead, but deep down, you’re still haunted by what you did. Lord Min wasn’t real. I’m not real Jihyo. I’m in your head.” Jihyo shook her head. “Jihyo, this isn’t real. You created me and used the name my mother gave me to deal with being alone. This is all in your head Jihyo.”

“This is real. You’re real. I’m real. You’re just trying to make me think I’m crazy,” Jihyo said as she clutched her head. “I had a sister. I murdered her. Lord Min tried to attack me, I trapped him in an ice door. I ran away and built this palace.”

“You’re alone Jihyo. You’re in your room suffering a severe psychosis break from years of solitude. I’m not really here Jihyo. You need to go home now. Your parents are waiting.” Jihyo shook her head, rocking back and forth.

“I’m not crazy. This is real. I’m not crazy. This is real,” she repeated. Storm clouds formed around her. Slowly an ice sculpture formed in front of Jihyo. Looking she found Y/N standing in front of, holding her hand out. Smiling, Jihyo took it, not realising what was in front of was nothing more than ice she had made from the image of someone who never existed. Using her powers, she created a beautiful, sparkly, white ball gown. Holding onto the statue, she danced around her room, a grin on her face as her kingdom sat at the bottom of the mountain, slowly freezing to an inevitable death.

All magic comes with a price.


	7. Mermaid in the Mist

Near a cluster of rocks, a young mermaid sat on the rocks, listening as the waves crashed into the rocks. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue with the sun bathing the mermaid in its warm glow. She leaned back against one of the rocks, swaying as she began to sing.

Her voice was beautiful, putting even the most skilled singer to shame. Her voice traveled over the waves, bringing forth all the animals of the sea. They listened to her beautiful voice, captivated by her talent and beauty. Her voice carried far and wide filling everyone with joy.

“Chaeyoung! Son Chaeyoung!” She stopped singing, turning to where her mother was calling her. Her mother swam to the surface, placing herself on a nearby rock. Her mother smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Chaeyoung, my darling, what are you doing?” her mother asked. Chaeyoung smiled.

“Singing Mother. Today is a beautiful day for singing,” she said. Her mother hummed, moving over to her daughter’s rock. She began to braid her hair.

“Your voice is amazing my darling, but I have to warn you, your voice won’t only attract the animals. Pirates have been spotted not too far from here. I would hate for something to happen to you my darling,” her mother said. Chaeyoung turned to her mother, taking her hands in hers.

“I promise Mother, I will be careful,” Chaeyoung assured her mother. Her mother nodded, patting her daughter’s cheek.

A couple weeks later, there was another beautiful day. It had stormed for days prior, but now the sea was once again calm. Chaeyoung sat on her rock, staring over the ocean. She slowly began humming to herself. Then she let her voice ring out over the expansive water. Again the animals surrounded her, listening to her melodic voice. She sang to her heart’s content, her voice strong and powerful.

“Hello!” Immediately Chaeyoung stopped singing. The voice didn’t sound familiar. Panic settling in, Chaeyoung dove back into the water. She hid behind her rock, peeking out over the surface to see who had called out to her.

From the rocks, a human girl appeared. Chaeyoung knew immediately she was a pirate. She had on the weird non-tail clothes and the floppy hat all pirate’s wore. The pirate looked around desperate. Chaeyoung felt bad. The pirate didn’t look bad, she looked lost and afraid.

“Hello!” the pirate called. “Please! I mean no harm. I was thrown off my ship during the storm. Please! I just need fresh food and water. I mean no harm!” Despite her head screaming at her to swim away, Chaeyoung came out from her hiding spot. The pirate looked to her, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. “Yes. Hi. I’m Captain Y/N L/N. I mean no harm. What’s your name?”

“Chaeyoung,” she replied. Y/N smiled, moving to sit down on the rocks.

“Was that you who was singing?” Y/N asked. Chaeyoung nodded. “You have an incredible voice.” Chaeyoung blushed, accepting the compliment. “So do you live around here? I didn’t see any place around.”

“You could say that,” Chaeyoung said, avoiding Y/N’s gaze. Taking a deep breath, Chaeyoung hoisted herself up onto the rock, where Y/N could see her tail. Y/N eyes went wide when she caught sight of Chaeyoung’s tail.

“You’re--you’re--you’re--”

“A mermaid? Yeah. I am. Is that a problem?” Chaeyoung inquired. Y/N shook her head. Chaeyoung smiled. “Good, because I don’t mind that you’re a pirate.” Y/N chuckled, shaking her head.

“So, um, what do you eat?” Y/N asked. Chaeyoung held up her finger, diving into the water to grab some fresh kelp and sea anemone. She burst through the surface, laying the fresh food out for Y/N. She stared down at the sea plants. “Don’t you eat fish?” Chaeyoung shook her head.

“Mermaids don’t eat animals of the seas. It’s unethical, only other animals and fairytale monsters eat other fish,” Chaeyoung explained.

“Fairytale monsters? Like the Kraken?” Chaeyoung giggled, shaking her head.

“More like sirens.”

“Those aren’t real?”

“Not really. It’s more of a ghost story to scare guppies. A siren is a mermaid born from a violent death or a horrible act of violence, but sirens aren’t real.” Y/N nodded.

“Do you think you could sing again?” Chaeyoung turned to Y/N. “I wasn’t lying when I said your voice is beautiful. I’d be honored if you’d sing for me.” Chaeyoung nodded, clearing her throat.

She thought back to the song she’d been singing before and picked up right where she’d left off. The song brought back the animals, who gathered to listen to her voice. Y/N stared in awe at the crowd and Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung seemed at complete ease, unaware that there was even a crowd admiring her beauty.

Overcome with so many emotions, Y/N moved to press her mouth to Chaeyoung’s. At first, Chaeyoung was highly confused and startled, but as Y/N kept moving her mouth, her hands coming to tangle themselves in her hand, Chaeyoung found herself melting for Y/N. The animals dispersed, leaving Chaeyoung and Y/N to spend their time how they saw fit.

Night had fallen when Chaeyoung had to leave. She promised Y/N to return in the morning, giving her one final kiss before she swam to where she knew her mother would be waiting.

Her mother sat in their home, arms folded over her chest. Her eyebrow was quirked as she stared at her daughter. Chaeyoung smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back.

“And what, may I ask, time do you call this?” her mother asked. Chaeyoung rubbed the back of her neck. “Where were you exactly?”

“On the rocks mother,” Chaeyoung replied. “I was singing and lost track of time. I didn’t mean to come home so late, but the animals like hearing me sing.” Her mother sighed, her anger disappearing.

“Next time, please keep track of time. I don’t like to worry. It gives me wrinkles.” Chaeyoung giggled, nodding her head.

She kept her promise of returning. She did so for multiple days. Spending time with Y/N made Chaeyoung happy. Each day was something different. Some days, Y/N told stories of far off places and daring sword fights. Other days, Chaeyoung told Y/N about life twenty-thousand leagues under the sea and about her culture. A few days, they spent it wrapped in each other’s arms as lovers. Those were Chaeyoung’s favorite days.

Each day, Chaeyoung fell deeper and deeper in love with Y/N. Even her mother had noticed her sudden change in behavior. She was happier and giddier and always lost in a daydream. She’d leave their home in the early morning and wouldn’t come back until almost dark. While she was happy for her daughter, she was also curious albeit a bit worried.

“Chaeyoung, my darling,” her mother said one night after another day without seeing her daughter. Chaeyoung hummed, turning to her mother. Her eyes were glazed over with a far off look in them. “Were you at the rocks yesterday?” Chaeyoung nodded. “What were you doing?” Her mother watched as a faint blush crept up her neck.

“I was singing,” Chaeyoung said. Her mother hummed.

“Were you with someone?” Chaeyoung paused, contemplating.

“As a matter of fact, I was,” Chaeyoung said. Her mother nodded.

“Do I know them?” Chaeyoung shook her head. “Are they from around here?” She shook her head again. “So they’re visiting. Okay. Why don’t you bring them over, I’d love to meet them.” Chaeyoung bit her lip.

“That might pose a problem,” Chaeyoung said.

“Oh?” Her mother raised her eyebrows. “How so?” she asked.

“Well, they’re not exactly, um, mer.” Her mother stopped moving altogether, turning to stare her daughter in the eye. Chaeyoung kept her gaze down. “They’re, um, they’re human.”

“Humans don’t inhabit that island.”

“Well, she was, um, thrown overboard her ship.”

“‘Her ship’?”

“She’s a, um, pirate captain.”

There was absolute silence in the mermaids’ home. Nothing move and no one spoke. Even the current was still, too afraid to break the deafening silence. Her mother stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Chaeyoung felt uncomfortable under her mother’s gaze.

“You’re--you--how--what? You’re having a relationship with a pirate--a pirate captain? The same people who enslave us, and use us as entertainment, and slaughter us? What are you thinking?” her mother inquired. Chaeyoung stared at her in disbelief.

“She’s not like that! She’s sweet, and kind, and caring, and would never hurt me!” Chaeyoung said. “She tells me stories and listens to me sing.” It was her mother’s turn to stare at her in disbelief.

“Oh my… you’re in love with her.” Her mother looked on in disgust and worry. “Chaeyoung, I’m warning you. Humans are selfish, selfish creatures. They take and they take, and they take. They’ll destroy an entire species without batting an eye.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, you’re just mad because you were wrong and not all pirates are bad!” Chaeyoung yelled. She swam to her room, tossing herself onto her bed. Why was her mother so cruel? She didn’t even know Y/N. If she gave Y/N a chance, she would see that all pirates aren’t bad. Maybe if she introduced her mother to Y/N, she would see that there’s nothing bad.

The next morning as Chaeyoung was swimming towards the surface, a thought hit her. There was one person who could help her. Sure, she wasn’t someone you could trust, but her results never lied. If Chaeyoung truly wanted to be with Y/N, there was only one person who could make that happen: the sea witch.

Instead of going to the surface to see Y/N, she packed a bag and sought out the sea witch. The next time she would see Y/N, she would have human legs. While she was happy to have a way to be with her lover, she also had this gnawing pain in her heart. She would be leaving behind everything she knew, but you have to make sacrifices for love.

Up ahead, in the side of a volcanic mountain, there was a cave opening. Swallowing thickly, Chaeyoung swam to the cave’s entrance, calling out to the sea witch. An older mermaid swam out, white hair floating around her like a halo. Her tail was a vivid blue, much like Chaeyoung’s. The sea witch swam to Chaeyoung, taking her in.

“How can I service you, my dear?” the witch asked. Chaeyoung swallowed, finding her voice.

“I--I wish to be human,” she answered. The sea witch hummed, taking Chaeyoung’s hand and leading her deep into the cave.

“You wish to join your lover on land,” the witch said. Chaeyoung didn’t say anything, letting the witch drag her to a cauldron that sat on top of bright orange lava.

“Can you make me human?” Chaeyoung asked. The witch nodded.

“But I don’t give my services for free, my dear. I do require a price be paid.”

“I’ll give you anything.” The witch paused, stroking her chin. “Please.”

“I require some of your blood.” Chaeyoung stopped, blinking.

“My--my blood?”

“Don’t panic, my dear. It won’t hurt but for a second.” Chaeyoung thought about it before agreeing to the witch’s price. The witch grabbed a small needle holding out her hand. Reluctantly, Chaeyoung gave the witch her hand. The sea witch grabbed it, pricking her finger. Chaeyoung winced as her blood floated through the water. The sea witch grabbed a tiny bottle, putting the blood into it and closing the lid.

The witch went over to her cauldron, throwing in different ingredients and muttering old phrases. Chaeyoung watched entranced. She didn’t see what was so bad about the sea witch. Sure, the blood thing was a bit weird, but better that than her taking away your voice or something.

The witch grabbed another bottle, dipping it into the cauldron and pulling it out. The bottle was full of a yellow liquid. She held the bottle out for Chaeyoung to take. As Chaeyoung reached for the bottle, she pulled back, startling Chaeyoung.

“I will tell you this, should you ever wish to return to the sea, there is one thing you must do. You must drink the blood of your lover. Her blood will give you back your tail, and you may return to the sea,” the sea witch said. Chaeyoung nodded, taking the bottle.

Hurrying as fast as she could, she swam to the surface to be with Y/N once and for all. As she approached the surface, her excitement grew. She didn’t know a lot about being human, but she could learn. Y/N could teach her. When she broke the surface, she took the bottle and tipped it back. The pain of transforming was horrendous, but she endured it for Y/N.

With some struggle, she swam towards the show. Y/N sat on the beach, staring out over the sea, lost in thought. Her face brightened when she saw Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung waved, swimming close to the shore. When she felt the sand under her feet, she shakenly stood up. She hadn’t realized she wasn’t wearing anything, but that didn’t bother her. Y/N stared with a dropped at Chaeyoung in human form.

“Chaeyoung?” Y/N said. “What? How? Why?” Chaeyoung grinned, stumbling into Y/N’s arms. Y/N sat them on the rocks.

“I went to the sea witch and asked her to make me human. Now we can be together!” Chaeyoung said. Y/N stared at her, her face void of expression. Chaeyoung’s happy mood was slowly leaving her the longer Y/N went without saying anything. “Isn’t that great? We can be together!”

“This is awkward,” Y/N muttered. She turned to look at Chaeyoung, guilt in her eyes. “Chaeyoung, I have really enjoyed the fun we’ve had, but that’s what it was: fun. This wasn’t supposed to be serious. I have a family back home. My crew is on their way to get me. You can’t come with me.” Tears pooled in Chaeyoung’s eyes at Y/N’s words. She shook her head.

“You don’t mean that,” Chaeyoung sniffled. Y/N ran a hand through her head, letting out a sigh.

“Damnit Chaeyoung. Why? Why would you become human?”

“Because I love you!” Y/N groaned, burying her head in her hands.

“Chaeyoung, we barely know each other. We fooled around a bit, but that doesn’t translate to love. Love is doing everything to make each other happy.” Chaeyoung sniffled, anger bubbling in her heart.

“I gave up my tail for you! I gave my blood for you! I left my home and my mom for you! I gave up everything for you!” Chaeyoung yelled. Y/N sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“I’m sorry you did that, but we can’t be together.” Anger flared inside of Chaeyoung. After everything she’d done, Y/N was tossing her aside, just as her mother had said. Looking down, she saw Y/N’s knife. The sea witch’s words echoed through her head. “Is there anyway to get your tail back?”

“There is, but I need your knife,” Chaeyoung said, her voice emotionless. Hesitantly, Y/N handed over her knife. “You aren’t going to want to watch this.” Y/N nodded, turning her back to Chaeyoung. Taking a deep breath, Chaeyoung plunged the knife into Y/N’s back, straight into her heart. Y/N let out a painful scream, falling forward. Bending down, Chaeyoung slurped the warm, thick, red liquid, ignoring the pain of transforming back.

Only, she didn’t change back into a mermaid. Instead of her beautiful blue tail, her tail was a sickly green and grey. Her hair turned from brown tresses to black slime, her eyes went red, and her teeth sharpened into points. She let out a hiss, devouring what was left of her ex-lover. Off in the distance, she could hear the sound of a ship, and with a blackened heart, she sang to them.


End file.
